February 2012
1 post
14 tags
WT Gets Featured on TheDieline.com
And the FEW Spirits love-fest continues! Now our branding and label designs are featured on the World’s #1 Package Design Website… The Dieline!
http://www.thedieline.com/blog/2012/2/3/few-spirits.html
January 2012
3 posts
30 tags
...And the Box They Came In.
Introducing the FEW Spirits limited edition wooden display crate. So limited that there are only three in existence!
Commissioned to hold the first four releases from FEW Spirits, this custom, handcrafted tenement box is made out of reclaimed “old-growth” timber deconstructed from a Chicago structure originally built in the late 19th Century.
Michael Pendleton of MP Custom Made...
30 tags
FEW Spirits - Handcrafted Packaged Goods
FEW Spirits is a craft distillery, located in Evanston, Illinois just north of Chicago, which offers premium small-batch spirits made entirely on-premises from grain to bottle. In order to bring their product to market, FEW relied on our expertise and vision to design a brand & label that was worthy of their handcrafted liquors. Featuring commissioned illustrations by artist, Donovan Foote,...
1 tag
Doodlicious
We have had some more long morning meetings which means our doodly brains have been hard at work. Take a look at the crazy drawings that have been created by the WT creative team.
Guss’ Brain:
Kristen’s Brain:
Andy’s Brain:
October 2011
4 posts
AdWars Winner: Round 5 “Halloween Havoc"
And the WINNER is… Woolite’s “Torturer” !
We love our clothes too. Thinking of this brute terrorizing our closets sent shivers down our spines.
Thank you AdWars voters! Happy Halloween!
9 tags
The Wilburn Report: October 2011
Last weekend I went to my heaven in the form of a pumpkin farm. I think it was two months ago when I first started planning my fall activities. I have been called Halloween addict and I admit it proudly. So, I racked google’s brain for a good pumpkin farm and when I saw that Bengtson’s Pumpkin Farm had the url www.pumpkinfarm.com I felt like it was a sign that I needed to be there and...
22 tags
AdWars Round 5: Halloween Havoc
Round 5: Woolite’s “Torturer” vs. Snicker’s “Grocery Store Lady”
DING! DING! Time for another AdWars, this time HALLOWEEN EDITION! Commercials so spine tingling Wilburn Thomas is still recovering: Kristen screamed from behind her monitor, Guss had nightmares for weeks, and Lawrence was found shaking under his desk (Andy’s still missing). Who is the creepiest creep terrorizing the...
15 tags
Expanding Chicago Area Pediatricians' New Brand
After launching Chicago Area Pediatricians’ new website (featuring the branding we developed for them) we designed some collateral pieces to match their new look.
The word cute doesn’t begin to describe their updated image… this brand is downright adorable!
Utilizing a square-flapped No.10 envelope from French Paper Co., we complimented the playful attitude we designed on...
September 2011
2 posts
12 tags
HomeMade Catering at the Ethnic Arts Festival
We’re all familiar with HomeMade Pizza Co.’s delicious line of freshly prepared, all-natural “we make it, you bake it” pizzas. But did you know that they can cater your event, too? Now with their new catering trailer and mobile ovens, hot & fresh HomeMade Pizza Co. pizza can now be expertly prepared and served at your next get-together.
We helped them with the...
13 tags
Parallel Architecture Website Launch
At Wilburn Thomas, we’re big proponents of meeting (and exceeding) the needs of our clients with a solution that doesn’t have to come from a list of preselected options. Gaining insight into the world of Parallel Architecture, we came to the conclusion that they needed a website that could constantly showcase fresh content as easily as a status update, and display their stunning designs to the...
August 2011
3 posts
1 tag
The Wilburn Report: August 2011
Camping has been a summer tradition in my family since my earliest memories. With my dad being a high school math teacher our summers were always wide open to explore the great outdoors. Its been years since I’ve been able to camp with my parents so we decided we should meet up at the easiest half-way point: Des Moines, IA. My husband, Bill, and I jumped on a Megabus for $4 round trip...
13 tags
Behind the Scenes at HomeMade Pizza Co. Photoshoot
What better way to generate promotional images for HomeMade Pizza Co.’s new catering service than holding an event and having them cater it. Photographer Erica Barraca did an excellent job capturing it on film… er, ah digital memory stick… whatever, the pizza was delicious! Gotta love working in advertising.
Members of Wilburn Thomas, HomeMade Pizza Co. and our...
11 tags
Chicago Area Pediatricians Website Launch
When Chicago Area Pediatricians approached us to update their website, we were excited to deliver a web presence to match their good-natured friendliness and well-respected position in the community. As one of the most established practices in the area, we didn’t want to just design a website without creating a brand character that families could connect with. Playful without being...
June 2011
3 posts
10 tags
FEW Spirits Website Launch
The stills are running, the spirits are flowing, and the beautifully branded bottles (expertly designed by the WT team, I might add) are waiting to be filled. In the meantime, WT is proud to present the newly launched FEW Spirits website. A trumpet flare right here would totally be appropriate.
It all started with an in-depth brainstorm session at our local watering hole. After an enormous...
4 tags
“The best ideas come as jokes. Make your thinking as funny as possible.”
– David Ogilvy
3 tags
May 2011
1 post
5 tags
AdWars Winner: Round 4 “Food Fashionistas”
And the WINNER is… Domino’s “Moustache” ! You all must love a good mustache! And actually we totally agree. An intense look that also serves as a snack for later. Who could say no? Thank you to all of you very dedicated AdWars voters! We love you too.
3 tags
“A good ad should be like a good sermon: It must not only comfort the afflicted,...”
– Bernice Fitz-Gibbon
8 tags
April 2011
1 post
How did we get here?
Our business card is featured on designerfix.com
http://designrfix.com/inspiration/business-cards-collection-amazing-designs
Cool.
March 2011
5 posts
4 tags
“Develop your eccentricities while you are young. That way, when you get old,...”
– David Ogilvy
6 tags
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AdWars: Round 4 Food Fashionistas
Round 4: Domino’s “Moustache” vs. Doritos’ “The Best Part”
It’s been awhile but we’re back with another heavyweight fashion-forward throw down. Brace yourself for the latest round of AdWars that features two food-accessorizing heavyweights so stylish it’ll have Trya Banks sporting cookie stubble around Harvard. Will crumbs be next year’s in look? Will we be watching Cheeto-couture in milan?...
16 tags
Distill My Heart
It was an exciting day for both, our client, Paul Hletko, owner and Master Distiller of Few Spirits, and all of us over at WT. Despite the unforgiving cold, seeing the arrival of the imported German stills in all their polished metal glory brought the kind of slow burn warmth you get from fine spirits. These gleaming behemoths are going to be home to the first legal alcohol to ever be distilled...
8 tags
Welcome Us To Tumblr!
It may look like we’ve been here for awhile, but we’re just Tumblr babies! What you’re seeing is our past Wordpress posts transferred over to Tumblr. We hope being here will keep us more connected to the advertising community and will get our blogging juices flowing! We’re also trying out a submit section, so if you have some interesting content you’d like us to look...
February 2011
1 post
8 tags
Snowmaggedon 2011
No RedEye, no Reader. Not even a Hoy! to be found. This is the heart-wrenching tale of how the Wilburns survived the blizzard that brought life in Chicago to a standstill. For about 8 hours.
Tuesday afternoon, before there was even an inch of snow on the ground, Andy’s electricity skipped town, plunging his household into practically prehistoric conditions.
Kristen woke up the next...
December 2010
2 posts
12 tags
Latrobe Dental Arts Headlines
One of our main criteria for the Latrobe Dental Arts website was its ability to convey an image of comfort and affability, while showing off the high-level knowledge the dentists possess. One of our favorite solutions to this was to forgo the typical “banner image with promotional copy” header and replace it with randomly-generated dental tips. After all, what is more friendly than a...
10 tags
Working in a Winter Wonderland
It’s getting cold in Chicago; the snow has finally come to say Hello. The holiday CTA car is out and about, and lawn chairs have been repurposed to hold parking spots. Time to drag out the winter gear from the back of our closets and brave the winter flurries. Living in the Windy City, we expected it to be nippy out. What we didn’t expect was for it to be just as chilly inside the...
November 2010
1 post
12 tags
Latrobe Dental Arts Website Launch
Creating a website for Latrobe Dental Arts meant one thing: securing brand identity by isolating them as the go-to dentist in town. For small-town Pennsylvania, projecting an image of comfort and accessibility while informing patients of the advanced technology and knowledge the practice possesses was key. By building the brand from scratch, we were able to connect with small town...
October 2010
2 posts
7 tags
The Wilburn Report: October 2010
Recently, friends have mentioned that they’ve seen some changes in me. Some strange behaviors that don’t seem very “Andy-like.” Don’t worry, I am still the hilarious, triple threat, creative genius that you all know and love. But, there have been some developments that make people go “huh!?”. No, I am not turning into a werewolf (as far as I know), BUUUT I think I might be turning into… A...
12 tags
Carbonated Label Lust Refreshment
In a world that seems to be dominated by the Big Two, Coca-Cola and Pepsi might have to make some room on the shelf for some of these underdogs of the soft drink industry. Whether you call it Soda, Pop, Fizzy-Drink, or Tonic, one thing that we can all agree on… they’re damn tasty!
There’s something to be said about enjoying a frosty carbonated drink in a genuine glass bottle. From the...
September 2010
3 posts
10 tags
The Wilburn Report: September 2010
My first car was a John Deere 4020 at the age of thirteen. I loved every minute on it and there were plenty of them. So it only took me about two seconds to jump at the chance to drive one of my friends prized vintage JD’s in the Brimfield Old Settlers Days parade. I drew the A, my brother-in-law, Mark Krusa, got the G and his boy drove the B. We had a great time driving the narrow roads to...
4 tags
Doodle-Le-he-HOO!
Our morning meetings at Wilburn Thomas are usually full of status reports, funny stories, and task lists, but we recently realized there was an element of multi-tasking we were overlooking. Collectively, our group probably generates more doodles than a 7th grade Social Studies class. While they may not be hearts and stars, our individual doodles are definitely worth noting. Enjoy some of...
6 tags
Baker Demonstration School Website Launch
Website: www.bakerdemschool.org
Baker Demonstration School’s new website does just that – it demonstrates the Baker experience, both visually and in word. Selecting the right private school is an important decision and it was our job to make sure that prospective families could clearly understand Baker’s value and points of uniqueness. This new website is fully search engine optimized...
August 2010
4 posts
10 tags
The Wiburn Report: August 2010
I wait for it every year, and 2010 was no different. Chicago’s famous Lollapalooza festival happens every August and this year’s lineup was enough to have me camp-out. We’re talking Phoenix, Metric, The Black Keys, Lady Gaga, Yeasayer, Chromeo, and so many more. If the lineup wasn’t enough reason to shell out a stiff $215 for the tickets, perhaps the celebrity appearances were? Spotted...
4 tags
AdWars Winner: Round 3 “Battle of the Brats”
And the WINNER is… Toyota School Girl!
The People have spoken! Toyota girl rules the School with her commanding presence! Thats one mini backseat driver. A+ to her!
Thank you everyone who voted for this brat-tastic edition of AdWars!
AdWars Forever!
12 tags
Wilburn Thomas Worked It!
Thanks to all who participated in Wilburn Thomas’ first ever networking event for creative professionals.
Held at one of Chicago’s best independent art galleries, {fill in the blank} Gallery was the perfect venue to talk shop about our creative industry. Surrounded by their current exhibit, A Walking Tour of Here by Justin Santora, and enjoying a cool beverage, courtesy of Half Acre Beer Co., ...
8 tags
AdWars: Round 3 Battle of the Brats
Round 3: Zazoo Condoms Brat vs. The Toyota School Brat
Are you ready to RUUUUMMMBLE?????? Time for another round of ADWARS… Brat edition! First off let us state that WT is a child free zone. Many of us don’t have them and we definitely don’t hire them (sorry but you can put your baby resumes away kiddies). Whether they are shrieking at the movie theater or terrorizing the Laundromat,...
July 2010
4 posts
12 tags
The Wilburn Report: July 2010
This month peaches are 10 for $1.00 at my local grocery store so I stocked up and decided to try a couple different kinds of peach cobbler recipes. I’ve been in a baking mood and the weather is perfect for fresh peaches.
The first kind I tried had a biscuit-like topping that was a great compliment to the sweetness of the peaches (pictured below):
The second style ended up being more of a...
10 tags
Wilburn Thomas’ Collateral Damage
When you’re peddling the goods on a daily basis, sometimes you gotta pause and drink some of your own Kool-Aid. Taking our own advice, we took a hard look at our core brand and implemented an across-the-board unification program. Whether our client is looking at our work on WilburnThomas.com or holding our business card in their hand, the outcome should be total and instant association with...
14 tags
Summertime Label Lusting
Photo by Jason Anfinsen
Mmmm, BBQ sauce. Let’s be honest, it can make or break your grilling experience. Too spicy, too sweet, too bland, there are so many ways to mess it up and so few ways to rescue a good meal gone bad. When sauce is a key factor in taste, what makes certain consumers take risks while reaching toward the shelf of competing flavors? We all have a go-to bottle of BBQ...
9 tags
Customizing Custom Home Service
When life gives you lemons… get yourself into the kitchen and make some decadent lemon bars.
Making something great using limited resources poses a challenge that Wilburn Thomas loves to excel at. Custom Home Service is a fine example of a skilled professional that got lost in a sea of mediocre wannabes. In order to rise above the typical construction contractors that make their money in...
June 2010
2 posts
8 tags
Officeheads Website Launch
Website: www.officeheads.com
Alright business brains, we know what’s on your mind. Getting everything done in half the time with twice the oomph. We feel you, we happen to be business folks ourselves. So when Officeheads™ founder Rebecca Berneck came to us, we quickly understood all the benefits behind her genius. Life with Officeheads™ is organized and full of efficient processes. Life...
14 tags
TCBOOST Website Launch
Website: www.tcboost.com
We’ve been dying to let this one out of the bag for some time now, and it’s finally ready. It’s alive, living and breathing on its own and prepared to take on the critics. Our baby, TCBOOST.com, is ready to spread its wings and fly in the World Wide Web.
The site was treated as a digital representation of the TCBOOST methodology, which was conveyed through the use...
May 2010
3 posts
6 tags
AdWars Winner: Round 2 “Dog Vs. Dog”
And the WINNER is… Doritos’ “Underdog”!
This WOOFable Superbowl commercial truly is a beast to be reckoned with! “Underdog” slapped a collar on Consomme Panchi and made him his PET!
Thanks to all our loyal voters we now know who is the mastermind behind the poochie snack snatching plan!
Keep your eyes pealed for a new AdWars coming soon!
20 tags
“Real Men and Women of Madison Avenue” Exhibit...
When we think of MadMen, we see sharp looking executives with a glass of scotch and a cigarette to match. While this may have been true to the time period, the Real Men and Women of Madison Avenue exhibit shows that some of the most well renowned and influential creatives of our time were so much more than that.
The exhibit spans 8 years and highlights over 150 examples of Print and...
8 tags
AdWars: Round 2 “Dog Vs. Dog”
Round 2: Doritos’ “Underdog” vs. Calbee Chips “Consomme Panchi”
We’re back with another round of ferocious competitors. Dogs have always had the bad rap of being a little, how should we say it… hmm… dumb. But at WT we always knew it was all an act. Why? To get buddy-buddy with their humans and one day TAKE OVER THE WORLD! Is it a coincidence that we stumbled across these two similar...
April 2010
2 posts
7 tags
Officeheads eScribing™ Postcard
Officeheads, a leader in small business management, needed our help promoting a niche service they offer. The challenge of introducing their eScribing™ service to a new market was met by Wilburn Thomas with open arms.
Normally catering to the running and facilitation of all things small business, Officeheads recognized the need for real-time meeting transcription in businesses of all sizes....
5 tags
AdWars Winner: Panda Vs. Panda
And the WINNER is… POLKA PANDA by a landslide!
This 1990′s commercial from Pakistan layed the smackdown on its competition and will forever be know as the first winner of AdWars!
Thanks to everyone who voted!
A new AdWars will be coming soon so keep on the lookout!
March 2010
4 posts
7 tags
AdWars: Panda Vs. Panda
Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls, welcome to the first, the best, the unbelievably magnificent, Wilburn Thomas AdWars!!! Where advertisements have to face their arch nemesis and battle it out, TO THE DEATH! WHO-HA-HA-Ha-haaa! Well, maybe its not that dramatic but at least the winner has the satisfaction of knowing that Wilburn Thomas feels they are better than their opponent. What’s more...